Tag archive for ‘Ramadan wishes’

Ramadan: the Greatest Opportunity

Copyright Zawaj.com. Author is Wael Abdelgawad. Reprints are acceptable with notification, acknowledgement and a link back to Zawaj.com.

Zawaj.com wishes all of you a Ramadan Mubarak. The greatest month is almost upon us, a month whose beginning is mercy, whose middle is forgiveness, and whose end is a protection from the fire.

Abu Hurairah (raa) relates the Messenger of Allah (saws) said when one Ramadan came: “A blessed month has arrived. Observing it in fasting is mandated on you. During this month, the gates of Paradise will be opened and the gates of Hellfire will be closed. The evil ones (Shayaatin) will be handcuffed. In it there is one night during which worship is better than worship in a thousand months. Whoever is denied its blessings has been denied the biggest blessing.” (Related by Ahmed, Nasaae and Bayhaqi)

All praise is due to Allah for guiding us to Islam, and for allowing us to witness another Ramadan. Let us use this month as an opportunity to perfect our prayers, beg forgiveness for our sins, and purify our souls from our mistakes and flaws.

Let us also thank Allah for all of His favors upon us, which are too many to count. There is so much we take for granted, so much we forget to thank Allah for. If we have security from violence, a roof over our head, and food on our table, then we already have more than many people in the world. Let us take stock of our lives and try to number our blessings: we will see they are limitless.

Palestinian women walk past men (on the other side of the fence) waiting to cross a checkpoint to get into Israel in order to pray for the holy fasting month of Ramadan at the Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem’s Old City, in the West Bank town of Bethlehem, Friday, Sept. 12, 2008. (AP Photo/Tara Todras-Whitehill) #

This is a month when prayers are answered, so all of you out there reading this, always remember to call upon Allah on behalf of our Muslim brothers and sisters who are struggling all over the world:

Call upon Allah on behalf of your brothers and sisters in Syria and Palestine, who are struggling in the cause of Allah for their freedom and dignity.

Ask Allah to relieve the suffering of the Rohingya people; they are being targeted for genocide by the government of Myanmar (Burma). Their suffering is immense.

Remember in your du’aa the Muslims of China, Somalia, the Congo, and every place where the Muslims are struggling in Allah’s cause for their deen, their freedom, and their lives.

Ramadan is an opportunity for us to help our brothers and sisters through the power of dua’.

Finally, when you are fasting and you feel the pangs in your stomach, and later when you break your fast, remember:

If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof overhead and a place to sleep … you are richer than 75% of this world.

If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish someplace … you are among the top 8% of the world’s wealthy.

If you woke up this morning with more health than illness … you are more blessed than the million who will not survive this week.

If you can attend an Islamic meeting without fear of harassment, arrest, torture, or death … you are more blessed than many of the people in the world.

May Allah accept this Ramadan from us, and may He make this Ramadan a time of purification, growth and strength for all of us.

Ramadan Mubarak! Happy Ramadan 1436 AH / 2015

As-salamu alaykum dear readers and fellow editors. On behalf of Zawaj.com I wish you all a happy, blessed and successful Ramadan.

The world needs change, and it needs hope. The world needs individuals capable of self-sacrifice, righteousness in the face of greed, compassion instead of cruelty, and love to conquer hate.

Isn’t this what Ramadan is about? It is a time of pure connection to Allah, pure worship, and reawakening the fitrah of the heart. It is a time of softening what has become hard in us, and cleansing what has become stained. Of course we do this fee sabeel-illah – in the cause of Allah – but let us not forget also that Islam carries with it an obligation to family, to society and to the world.

I challenge myself to do five things this Ramadan. One, to strive for awareness and humility in my salat. Two, to strive for self-purification. Three, to increase my love and kindness toward my family. Four, to ask forgiveness from whoever I have harmed. Five, to make a sacrifice (whether in money or time) for the sake of the Ummah and the world.

Will you do the same? Together, Insha’Allah, we can make a difference.

Oh Allah, make this Ramadan a start full of peace and faith, safety and Islam. Oh Allah, You are the Most Forgiving, so forgive us and and guide us forward. Ameen!

Ramadan Mubarak from Zawaj.com!

Alhamdulillah, the holy month of Ramadan has arrived. It’s a time when we strive to purify our hearts and renew our intentions in every aspect of our lives, bringing our lives into the service of Allah the Most High.

What are your goals this month?

Mine are:

To grow closer to Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala.

To become more steadfast in my salat.

To be more patient with my daughter, especially when she is difficult.

To assume good intentions on the part of others. Not to be suspicious or to think the worst of the people I love.

These are some of the issues that I struggle with in life. Ramadan presents me with a special opportunity to work on them, Alhamdulillah.

Please make dua’ for me and for my daughter Salma. She is seven years old and will be eight next month, Insha’Allah. Alhamdulillah she is an intelligent, playful and loving child. But I’m a single parent, and sometimes I feel like it’s a struggle to raise Salma as a good Muslim. I do my best. But it’s hard.

The good part is that I believe in Allah, and I regard Him as a Merciful, Forgiving and Loving God. I believe that Allah wants good for all people. He gives us the tools and abilities we need to make this world beautiful. The rest is up to us.

Ramadan is a gift. It’s a special tool in our toolbag, that allows us to transform the world – for one month at least – into a place of worship and light.